Meet United’s New Fuel-Saving ‘Split Scimitar’ Winglets

If the wing on your future United Continental Holdings Inc. flight seems to have sprouted an extra tip, don’t be alarmed: it’s the aviation industry’s newest effort to save money.

Jetliners have long sported winglets, the aerodynamically crafted, upswept wingtips that minimize drag by reducing the miniature tornadoes that occur at the ends of airplane wings because of differing pressure above and below.

Now United is introducing “split scimitar” winglets into passenger service. The first 737-800 in United’s fleet of 258 737s was fitted with the new wingtips this past weekend, and the first flight is today, from Houston to Los Angeles.

The radical re-sculpting of traditional winglets adds a new tip below the upturned one that sharply curve backwards like a scimitar. That further reduces wingtip vortices that drag on the wingtips.